Amherst truly is a place of learning. We have three incredible museums on our campus. To be honest, one of the main reasons I decided to come to Amherst was because I visited the Beneski Museum, located on campus, during my tour of Amherst the summer before my sophomore year.
My favorite part of the museum is the Mammoth skeleton, which is lovingly nicknamed Bebu. Bebu is among the many complete skeletons in the museum in addition to the fossils available in the collection. In addition to the fossils on display in the main part of the museum, there are glass cases displaying a wide variety of gems. The Beneski Museum is open to the public on weekends to general visitors, even though the classroom and study sections at the back of the museum are open to students and faculty all seven days a week. Recently, I have been studying in the Beneski more often with friends as Frost is frequently occupied. Some of my friends even have had their lectures for geology and economics in classrooms in Beneski.
The other museum on campus is the Mead Art Museum. Unfortunately, I did not get to explore this museum during my first semester at Amherst because the museum was closed due to the construction at the steeple. But during the second semester, I have been able to visit Mead with my friend to take a look around the museum. Though the exhibits change in the Mead, the museum offers tons of intriguing art pieces. Especially during the weekends, visitors often browse the pieces quietly and appreciate the displays. Like the Beneski Museum, the Mead Art Museum has study rooms in the back of the building – however, accessing these study rooms requires a reservation, and usually, students in art classes reserve these rooms so they can investigate the art within Mead’s art collection. Both the Mead and Beneski offer students the opportunity to research and work at the museums in different roles.
The Emily Dickinson Museum is located away from the main Amherst campus, and it is owned by the college. This museum is one of my personal favorites as the museum is actually Emily Dickinson’s house. As someone who is a big fan of Emily Dickinson’s poetry, visiting the Emily Dickinson Museum as part of my first-year orientation was a dream come true. My friends and I had the opportunity to walk through the house and listen to the tour guides offer information about her life and insights into the recent restoration of the museum. I wish I had the time to visit it more often, though the museum is often booked and busy with eager guests hoping to learn more about Emily Dickinson’s mysterious life.
A notable museum located nearby but not at Amherst is the Eric Carle Museum, which is located at Hampshire College. Though I haven’t had the chance to visit, my friends who have been there have told me that they had a great experience, so I’m hoping that I can visit it at least once before the semester ends. Amherst’s museums have a ton to offer and visiting each one results in a unique experience every time.